3 rivers glass beadmakers

Artist's Bio

Susan Brimo-Cox is a glass artist who started working in glass many years ago with stained glass. Today, her creative efforts span a variety of glass-manipulating techniques, but her primary focus is on the traditional processes of glass beadmaking and enameling.

Susan was born in Philadelphia and grew up in eastern Pennsylvania, spending her youth in Bucks County and the Poconos. In 1976, she earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Wilkes University. After spending nearly 20 years in southeastern Virginia and Hawaii, she now calls the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania home.

Susan draws inspiration from her diverse experiences with nature in distinct environments, but also likes to use color freely in whimsical ways. And with careful matching of components—finished glass elements, semi-precious stones and various metals—she creates a wide range of decorative, wearable and utilitarian works of art, including jewelry, accessories and ornaments.

Susan continues to develop professionally as a glass artist by taking instruction from some of America’s top-notch glass beadmakers and enamelists, and expands her fine crafts expertise with metalsmithing, jewelry making, printmaking and silk painting classes. She is a member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers and Three Rivers Glass Beadmakers. Susan and her husband, Lloyd (a metal artist and glass beadmaker), create their artwork at their studio, Chestnut Ridge Studio & Forge.

In addition to being an artist, Susan is an award-winning freelance writer and garden writer, public relations consultant, nature photographer, and avid gardener.

Artist's Statement

Glass is a diverse art medium and, while I enjoy working with it in many forms, I especially enjoy working with glass with a torch and kiln. Melted glass is very fluid. It offers a lot of freedom, but it also has strict limitations. Combining different colors, applying decorative elements and calculating a final effect requires experimentation, and sometimes a leap of faith. While it is challenging, it also is a lot of fun and can result in happy surprises. And, while I am an artist, I like the glass to express itself, so I try to keep any fabrication or assembly design as simple as possible, so as not to distract from the glass. The final design should complement and enhance the glass—provide a good stage for it, so to speak.

Gallery